Veteran defender makes strong case for why he’s the ideal free agent fit the Packers should consider this offseason
Jadeveon Clowney had a productive season last year for the Dallas Cowboys, and he’s waiting for another opportunity to sign a free agent contract and keep playing in the NFL in 2026.
The Green Bay Packers haven’t shied away from adding older defensive players this offseason. The team signed defensive tackle Javon Hargrave (33) and cornerback Benjamin St-Juste (28), plus traded for linebacker Zaire Franklin, who will be 30 by Week 1. And looking at the best free agent options at the moment, former first overall pick Jadeveon Clowney could be the ideal addition.
At 33, Clowney can still be a productive edge defender — last year, he signed a one-year, $3.5 million contract with the Dallas Cowboys and produced 8.5 sacks and 40 pressures.
In a recent interview to Click2Houston, Clowney shared an argument that proves he’s the perfect fit for defensive coordinator Jonathan Gannon’s versatile scheme.
“I have played in every scheme,” Clowney said. “Ain’t no scheme I can’t play in, 3-4 to 4-3 to whatever damn scheme that you had. I think I’ve proved that I can play in them all and not just play in them, but also dominate in the schemes and do my job at a high level. I just came off a great season, looking forward to doing it again and continue to prove to people and show the balance.”
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Packers’ edge situation
The Packers have a complicated situation at edge defender because Micah Parsons is the obvious best player, but he may miss the first month of the regular season still recovering from an ACL injury. While he’s out, the group only has Lukas Van Ness, Brenton Cox, Barryn Sorrell, Collin Oliver, and Arron Mosby. Adding a proven player like Clowney would give them more stability to start the year and more depth after Parsons comes back.
“I got a lot left in the tank,” Clowney said. “I don’t know if other people know that, but I know that, I can continue to prove that to people and go out there and show people I’m going to do that.”
The team traded Rashan Gary to the Cowboys and lost Kingsley Enagbare to the New York Jets in free agency this offseason.
For the Packers, though, it makes sense to wait. Clowney is an unrestricted free agent, which means he qualifies for the compensatory pick formula. If Green Bay signs him starting on the Tuesday after the NFL Draft, he won’t affect the formula anymore, and the Packers can keep the four extra picks they’re slated to receive in 2027.
What the Packers need
After his rookie contract with the Houston Texans, Jadeveon Clowney has been a journeyman in the NFL. He’s played for six more teams (Seattle Seahawks, Tennessee Titans, Cleveland Browns, Baltimore Ravens, Carolina Panthers, and Dallas Cowboys), and only spent more than one year on one of them, the Browns in 2021 and 2022.
While Clowney won’t be a long-term solution for the Packers, that’s not what they are looking for at the moment — Parsons, Van Ness, and the development of the young players should take care of that. For Green Bay, Clowney is a short-term solution for a short-term problem for a reasonable price, and that’s all they need.
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